Monday, February 20, 2006

Curt Gowdy

Curt Gowdy's was a voice I knew well, from the call of Ted Williams homering in his last at bat, to the Super Bowl III highlight film, to his fine work as the lead announcer in that key Angels-Mariners game from the first Naked Gun movie.

I got to hear both Boston and New York sports radio today. The Boston station made some quick mentions of Curt while I was listening, but the New York one, specifically Mike & the Mad Dog, was all over it. They had Billy Packer, Dick Enberg, and Tony Kubek on, as well as Suzyn Waldman, who told of her memories growing up with Gowdy doing the Red Sox on radio. Mad Dog "didn't realize" Curt meant so much to Boston sports until Suzyn clued him in. I still just can't even fathom how Suzyn can sit there and talk about her fond memories of listening to the Red Sox as a child with her father, and at the same time allow herself to be one of the voices of Dunbar, as well as a Steinbrenner cronie. Terrible job, Suzyn.

Even though Gowdy stoped announcing Red Sox games in 1965, his replacement was Ken Coleman, who I listened to as a kid. (And who was partnered with Joe Castiglione, the current voice of the Red Sox.) So that's my connection to him.

A story I heard first on EEI, and then from Waldman on FAN, was that Ted Williams didn't tell anyone that the game in which he hit his last at bat-homer would be his last, except for Gowdy and the clubhouse manager. When Ted hit the shot, Gowdy said "..in his last at bat in a Red Sox uniform..." and everyone else said "Huh?" because there was another series after that, but Ted was done. And because Curt was close to Ted, he was able to break the news to everyone during that memorable call.

A great story, but, keep in mind, when Dick Radatz died, all of a sudden it was "Radatz faced Mickey mantle one thousand times, and struck him out every time, while pitching with his opposite hand. Blindfolded. And Mickey was swinging two bats at once."

Another thing I kept hearing, on both stations, was how horrible the Red Sox were during the Gowdy era. Suzyn eventually cleared that up, after Mad Dog said he'd guess that during those 15 years, the Red Sox had two winning seasons. She pointed out that it wasn't just Ted Williams on the team, and that they weren't that bad the entire time. Sure enough, Doggy came back and admitted he was wrong, and that they actually had a winning season "more often than not" over the stretch. But it was interesting to hear different things come up pertaining to Gowdy, and how people just latch on to them and accept them as truths.

Curt Gowdy Sr had a TV-Radio Partner, who in the '90s, worked CBS Saturday Night Baseball.That Colleague was Bob Murphy, who died in '04. Murph's most famous line was "We'll Be back with the Happy Recap on the WFAN Mets Radio Network."Curt eulogized him on The FAN in August, '04.In August, Curt was on NESN with DO & The Remdawg. Curt really looked tired.He was in that Police Squad Movie, with Everyone's Favorite Dim Bulb;he having the 1st name of Tim, who we all beg for him to "Shut Up."An Elegant Voice is gone.His Son is now executive producer of the Mets new Network, SNNY, premiering 3/16." & he may go;he's in there; Snell Scores" is the line from Super Bowl III.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I still just can't even fathom how Suzyn can sit there and talk about her fond memories of listening to the Red Sox as a child with her father, and at the same time allow herself to be one of the voices of Dunbar, as well as a Steinbrenner cronie. Terrible job, Suzyn.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>